Paul Lambert looking for a change in fortune against Swansea City

Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert hoping for a change in fortune against Swansea City

Highlights from the game between Aston Villa and Wigan Athletic at Villa Park

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If Paul Lambert could pick one fixture to follow the wretched run of results his Aston Villa side have suffered of late, you could safely assume facing Swansea City would be it.

Whether in claret and blue or canary yellow, the former Norwich boss has held an Indian sign over the Swans.

It is more than just the four wins from the last five fixtures, but the manner in which he has seemingly had the knack of getting his men to muscle Swansea off their stride and antagonise their way to victory.

Lambert needs his run to extend to stop suggestions of questions over his future at the club he took over at in the summer.

One headline has already suggested the ‘Lambert Walk’ after 15 goals conceded in three games, a record last ‘boasted’ by a beleaguered Ipswich Town in 1995.

Ipswich were, of course, relegated that season and right now confidence-shot Villa are only one point outside the drop zone after beatings by Chelsea, Spurs and – less heavily but most significantly – Wigan.

So perhaps Lambert will be somewhat thankful that the team he had the beating of when at Norwich and where he again physically smashed Swansea at Villa Park earlier this term are up next.

Yet the Scot has been told Swansea will be wiser to what’s coming in their first fixture of 2013, a good as time as any to break bad habits.

“We fell apart in the second half there,” said Jonathan de Guzman of the 2-0 loss in September, the first defeat of the Michael Laudrup era.

“They scored a cracking goal against the run of play and we tried to pull through and play our game.

“But they made it very difficult for us and when they got their second that was it over.

“You could say we want revenge, but I think we’ve already shown the difference in us as a team from the start of the season. You could see that at Fulham where we showed a different side of Swansea City. It wasn’t always good football, not attractive football, but we were able to fight hard as a team and were very effective.

“People see us on the outside and the good football and the passing but wonder if we can tough it out.

“I think Fulham proved a point where we can use counter-attacks and break things up a bit.

“We showed we’re a strong team in a game where you had to fight and we may not have the biggest players in the Premier League, but we can still fight when we need to. “

They will need to, de Guzman not around when Lambert gained wins with Norwich but no doubt well aware of the hard-running and hassling tactics that await.

Indeed, before the trio of thrashings Villa put three themselves past Liverpool at Anfield to show that Lambert’s power over possession football teams is not restricted to Swansea.

Furthermore, a home defeat after such a bubbling run of form for Swansea, and against a side so seemingly there for the taking, would be quite in keeping with the way football tends to work.

What can be said is that Swansea are prepared for it. They have been for such ploys in the past – Everton and Norwich this term being a case in point – but Laudrup has seemed doubly keen to prove a point himself on this one.

The set-piece failings exploited by such teams were not present when Fulham pressed, while key men such as Leon Britton and – of course – Michu should be that much sharper given their rotated rest.

It is of no real surprise. Laudrup stated well in advance that this has been the festive fixture he has targeted the most, citing the importance greater than the point gained against leaders Manchester United at the start of this spell.

The reason is that Laudrup wants to keep the strugglers at arm’s length, knowing that a fairly relaxed 10-point gap between themselves and fourth from bottom Villa will become a cosy 13 with a win.

That said – and putting the old survival adage of winning home games aside – is there the need for a team on 28 points and closer to third than third from bottom to take such a view?

“It’s always important to keep that distance from you and the teams near the bottom of the table, so that’s why it’s important,” said de Guzman, who notched the third league goal of his Swansea loan stay at Craven Cottage.

“It’s why winning at Fulham was a good win for us, especially not when playing the best football.

“We have a good tally, we’ve been doing well and we can be happy at the end of the year to be where we are.

“But the mark for us is still 40 points and staying out of trouble, so we have to keep it real and get those points on board.”

As it stands, Swansea are five points better off than at the same stage last year having already matched their tally of away wins for the whole of the last campaign at Fulham.

But as the year turns and a frenetic few months of football await, it should be noted that the Swansea City of 2012 got better as the year went on.

Indeed, it was a win at Villa that sparked a surge in the second half of the season so there can be no resting of laurels.

It is perhaps another reason why Laudrup is willing to place such emphasis on today and ask for energy from his side on a day that many do well just to get out of bed following the end-of-year celebrations.

Michu could return from the ankle knock picked up against Reading, although Danny Graham’s goal at Fulham was a reminder that the Spaniard could yet be rested until 100% ready with Capital One Cup semi-final ties with Chelsea looming large on the horizon.

Britton and Ben Davies are both likely to return to the line-up, while it will be interesting to see whether both Angel Rangel and Pablo Hernandez are selected given their returns from injury lay-offs at Fulham.

Michel Vorm was also rested at the weekend after his comeback from injury, but is sure to replace Gerhard Tremmel in goal.